Actually, there have been many “odes” to sunflowers. Sunflowers are inspiring, encouraging, positive plants that tend to bring out the “happy poet” in folks.

The sunflowers sprouting up in the Common Ground garden seem symbolic of our refugee’s lives and what we are trying to accomplish.

Sunflowers are amazing in their potential. From a single sunflower seed comes a plant that may produce as many as 2000 more seeds.  When I talk with our trainees and the refugeess who help us in the garden (and eslewhere in the valley), I am often struck with the immense potential I see in them. It’s so easy to look at a little sunflower seed and never remember that it contains everything needed to produce a beautiful, seed-rich sunflower. All it needs is a place to sprout, a little nourishment, a little care, encouraging sunshine, and a bit of time.

That’s all refugee immigrants to the valley are asking for - a little nourishment, a place to put down roots and grow, a little care in the growing, welcome and encouragement, and a bit of time to let it all come together. They will pursue growing, if we will just help a bit.  The joy is in seeing them blossom!

There’s another interesting fact about sunflowers. They are not just one big flower.  Sunflowers are made up of  1,000 – 2,000 individual flowers joined together in a single base. Sunflowers do not exist or thrive, except in community.  The refugee understands this and you will find they are always helping each other navigate the strange path called “life in the U.S.” But more is needed. For our friends to grow and thrive, they need to be welcomed as part of our community, joined together at one base. Perhaps the base is mutual respect. Perhaps it’s a shared purpose. Perhaps it’s simply the joy of friendship.

Finally, there are a lot of beautiful varieties of sunflowers. Some are shorter; some are very tall. Some are wild and produce many small heads. Some product a single large head with thousands of seeds. They are yellow, marroon, orange. All are worthy of a chance to flourish.

We can learn a lot from sunflowers!

Community of sunflowers